ON THE BRINK: The Yankees are playing a winner-take-all ALDS Game 5 for the eight time (also 1981, ‘95, ‘97, 2000, ‘01, ‘05 and ‘11) and second straight season…fell in last year’s ALDS Game 5 at home vs. Detroit, 3-2…marks the 10th time they will play a deciding Game 5 in a best-of-five format (also 1976 and 1977 ALCS, each vs. Kansas City).
ð Are 5-4 all time in Game 5 of a “best-of-five” series (3-4 in the ALCS), and own an 11-11 record all time in winner-take-all games of a series.
ð Are 8-7 in ALDS games when facing elimination.
ð Marks the fifth time they will play a winner-take-all Game 5 at home…won each of the first three (1976 ALCS vs. Kansas City – a 7-6 “walk-off” win, 1981 ALDS vs. Milwaukee – a 7-3 win and 2001 ALDS vs. Oakland – a 5-3 win) before losing last year.

FRIENDS CLOSE, ENEMIES CLOSER: Over the first four games of this series, the Yankees and Orioles have been separated by no more than one run at the end of 41 of the 43 innings played.

START US UP: Yankees starters have combined to go 1-1 with a 2.35 ERA (30.2IP, 8ER) this series, with 23K and a .209 opponents average (24-for-115).
ð Yankees relievers have combined to allow just 1ER in 11.1IP (0.79 ERA, 6H, 0BB, 10K).

COMING UP ACES: LHP CC Sabathia is undefeated over his last seven postseason starts (3-0, 4.66 ERA)…is 6-1 with a 3.29 ERA (68.1IP, 25ER) in 11 starts as a Yankee.
ð Has made one start in a postseason game in which his team was facing elimination—2010 ALCS Game 5 vs. Texas, winning that contest (6.0IP, 11H, 2ER)…conversely, has made one previous postseason start in which his team could have clinched a series—2007 ALCS Game 5 vs. Boston w/Cleveland, taking the loss (6.0IP, 10H, 4ER).

CONEY RETURNS TO THE MOUND: Former Yankees pitcher David Cone will throw out tonight’s ceremonial first pitch. He made 14 postseason appearances (12 starts) with the Yankees, going 6-1 with a 3.86 ERA.

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4 Comments

For once Cashman was right. As far as this Yankee fan is concerned I hope it is shades of things to come. I am fed up with his drama, his overblown ego, his non-production etc. etc. If Hank were smart he’d payout the contract and let this guy walk. From the start Arod and the Yankees have been a BAD marriage. Time to end it. Enough of this drama.

Joe has finally listened to the fans and to the sportswriters and dropped ARod in the lineup. In fact he’s dropped him out altogether. Whether he gets in as pinch hitter later in the game who knows. Took a lot of guts to drop ARod not because of his performance but because of his profile, his contract, and his past reputation. I guess he’s putting on the field the guys he feels he can win with. Whether that will happen who knows. I’m not over optimisitic given the Yankees performance all year with lack of clutch hitting and hitting with RISP. And Cano and Granderson and Swisher haven’t been very clutch either. You can’t win many games scoring 1 or 2 runs. Two high powered offense HR wise this season and we’re in games like 1-1 2-1. Who would have thunk? Win this game tonight and you move on. Lose and you go home or to the golf course. You clean out your locker for the season. Then the real work for Cashman and the Steinbrenners and Joe begins in he off season trying to make this team younger and better especially clutch hitting. Team as a whole has been awful this year in this department. And Swisher is up to his old playoff tricks, not hitting. He wants to sign a big contract in the off season. Doubt he’ll get it with the Yankees or probably any other team. So there’ll be a lot of tough decisions to be made. Do the Yankees eat ARod’s contract and let him go? 100 million? He’s not even any good as a DH any more because he can’t hit the ball. What do they do with him for the next 5 years? Can they hide him in the minors and his salary not count against the cap? A real dilemma. Now is when the stupid long term contract Cashman signed with ARod comes back to bite you in the a##. I’ll be happy if the Yankees win and move on. Not happy about facing Detroit again. But won’t be terribly surprised if they will be cleaning out their lockers after this game. If the death of your manager’s father doesn’t motivate a team to win for the manager then I think that is sad.

No AROD in starting lineup. It took courage for Joe G. to put him on bench. He is absolutely got one thing in mind and that is winning. He had to tell the highest paid player and the active HR leader he was benched today. He’s a tough guy! Now let’s play ball and win a game.

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